Locked-Up Candy

Halloween and candy treats have partnered for years and it's here in just over 6 weeks.

Buying sweets quickly has become more challenging in some places.

Why?

Because candy displays were the most recent lock-ups seen at the CVS retail pharmacy in Nashua, NH, last week. This was something very new in this store and to me  (who would have thought candy would need a lock-up?) . 

The black clips in the photo above are security tags. This anti-theft device was on every bag. Since this was an end display, I thought that perhaps it was only done there.

And, when I checked the candy aisle, every bag displayed a security clip which could only be removed at checkout. The cashier told me locking and unlocking the bags took time, adding that candy theft was an ongoing issue.

Curious as to whether this was an isolated issue, I would online videos from other CVS stores that showd everything from shampoo and conditioner to soda bottles being kept behind locked cases. 

In the CVS on Main Street, ice cream and frozen food products were also in locked cases, so there's no picking your favorite flavor and going to the checkout.

The beer case did not have a lock, but there was a call button to request assistance from a store employee so it's really like being locked up.

Surprisingly, there were no visible locks on this large cosmetic display. 

Retail theft has cost businesses across the country hundreds of billions of dollars on an annual basis, forcing companies to adopt a variety of measures to deter shoplifters.  Major retailers like CVS have been implementing anti-theft measures. The most significant are to lock up certain products so that shoppers are required to ask an employee for help.

Since the pandemic, more household products have been locked up to deter thefts. In some areas, organized robbery sprees have cleared entire shelves of products. There was a similar occurrence in this Nashua CVS sometime last year according to the cashier.

Who can forget when during the pandemic toilet paper was a hot item? Yet, surprisingly, the above displays were not under enclosures or behind lock and key and no purchase limits like just a few years ago during the pandemic. (who can forget?)

All the wine bottles were tagged with individual security devices, each would need to taken off at the checkout counter. In NH, wine is sold at supermarkets as well, but no locks like these.

Locked items are an inconvenience that customers are not happy about according to the cashier I spoke with who said that shoppers repeatedly express frustration that CVS anti-theft measures (like locking up candy) are pushing them to avoid shopping there.

That backlash is widespread. Customers find it makes shopping more difficult. Many have said they'll shop elsewhere with a not uncommon response: If something is locked, I just go home and buy it on Amazon. Another common response, I don't have time to call someone over every time I want an item and just stopped shopping there.

After shopping for candy, I understand and agree with this frustration. Thankfully, we buy wine and ice cream elsewhere and that may soon extend to sweet treats.

On the topic of candy, fellow blogger, Jon, has a nostalgic Sweet Memories post in which he reminisces about vintage Halloween candy and other sweet treats.

Your turn — Are there lock-ups at stores in your area and, if so, what are they?

Friday Funnies

This post was not meant to be humorous, but it is ironical in so many ways.

This downtown Nashua, NH, diner was never a drive-in during the 50 years it was open for business at the corner of Main and Lake Streets.

Poor Pierre's Restaurant, Nashua NH

But, it instantly became one last month after a large SUV crashed into the building.

Photo credit: Nashua, NH, police department

That's because the former restaurant, which closed several years ago, was for sale. Signage on the window (below arrow) showed it was Approved for Drive-Thru.

Poor Pierre's was a short-lived Mr Hot Dog

Just not in the sense of actually driving into the building. The crash caused damage to the front and side of the eatery, which was subsequently boarded up and remains as such.

Here's another irony, neither the original owner and later his son were named Pierre. An online search did not provide any information on how it got this name.

Poor Pierre's had been a Main Street fixture since 1968 when it was opened by the late Peter Scumniotales in what was formerly a “Mr. Hot Dog” franchise that had lasted less than three years. Scumniotales operated it until his 1964 retirement when it was sold to his son, Chris, before it closed permanently in 2020. 

The property has changed little since then and prospective buyers have come and gone. One proposal was to operate it as a smoke shop. There were rumors that a major pizza company was interested in converting it to a drive-through pizza shop.

While the crash caused damage to the building, there were no reported injuries. The  driver, a Nashua resident was later charged with reckless conduct with a deadly weapon and criminal mischief. In this case, the weapon was the SUV. According to a news story, other charges were possible.

Fall foliage is not yet peak in Nashua, NH, and our river walk this week shows it's not far off. New England leaf peeking season will reportedly be very colorful this year.

Enjoy Your Weekend, Everyone

Weather here continues to be warm

Nashua Goings On

There's been a lot of renovations projects going on in Nashua, NH, this summer. A previous post in May highlighted one next to Cotton Mill, a neighboring mill apartment building across the Nashua River from our residence at Clocktower mill apartments.

As seen in the above view from across the river, this looked like a ski ramp. Of course, it was a ramp being built, but for an entirely different use. This was construction for an ADA-accessible ramp (Americans with Disabilities Act) to bring the bridge it adjoins into compliance with current standards. The new ramp replaced a set of metal steps.

Construction was completed last month. The ramp has been in use for the past few weeks and the official ribbon cutting took place last week. We've enjoyed returning to river walks and have also noticed that the ramp has become popular with cyclists and skateboarders too.

Since early spring, construction has been ongoing in the Renaissance Park adjacent to Clocktower Apartments and the Bicentennial Park which is downtown off Main Street. These renovations are part of the Imagine Nashua Master Plan. When completed, the parks will feature green space, seating areas and a stage area for outdoor concerts.

The above photos show how Renaissance Park looked last year and how it looked this past week. The sculpture is boxed in the iddle of the second photo

The above photo show how the much smaller Bicentennial Park (arrow) looked this past week. A walkway will be added to connect the two park areas. Other improvements will include  a dock area for small watercraft like canoes and kayaks.

Has anyone ever heard of a Library of Things?

This was a new one for me too and as of a month ago the Nashua Public Library (NPL) has a Library of Things that library users can check out and use for up to 2 weeks at a time with their library card. The library's current collection includes at least one of these: telescope, ukulele, paper shredder, speaker, microphone, metal detector, binoculars, ring light, label maker, metal detector, DVD player, Blu-ray speaker, white noise machine, puppets and puppet theater, floor air pump, bocce game, energy detector, Allen wrench set, green screen backdrop.

Library of Things at Nashua Public Library

Such loanable household and non-traditional items might be useful in everyday life, but only needed for a short time — to borrow rather than purchase. Library users are encouraged to submit suggestions for items to add to the Library of Things.

A Library of Things is any collection of objects loaned and any organization that practices this loaning. Items can include appliances, tools, gardening equipment, electronics, toys and games, art, science kits, craft supplies, musical instruments, recreational equipment and outdoor gear. Especially appropriate are objects that are useful occasionally but cumbersome to store. Collections vary widely and go far beyond the books, journals and media that have been the primary focus of traditional libraries. 

This movement is a growing trend in public, academic and special libraries in many countries. The term Library of Things was popularized by a grassroots experiment started in London in 2014 inspired by the Toronto Tool Library.

Does your library have one as well?

Friday Funnies

This week has been all about birds viewed from our apartment window overlooking the Nashua River in Nashua, NH.

Aside from Mourning Doves flocking to a dead tree along the river bank, there's been a group of Mallard ducks on the dock. It isn't really a dock, just a grate on the river, but lately it's been a popular early morning gathering spot for them, but without coffee cups.

After sitting a while, several of this group left for a river swim, females outnumbered the males by a 2:1 ratio.

(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay was co-written by singer Otis Redding and guitarist Steve Cropper. Redding recorded it twice in 1967, three days before his death in a Dec plane crash. Released in 1968, the song became the first posthumous No. 1 U.S. single and reached No. 3 on the UK singles chart. Redding is regarded as one of the greatest singer-songwriters in the history of American popular music and an influencing artist in soul music and rhythm and blues. Redding was 26 when he died, eight years after another plane crash killed three rock 'n roll legends at young ages: Buddy Holly (22), Ritchie Valens (17), The Big Bopper (22). 

Enjoy Your Weekend, Everyone

Be careful out there, because . . .

Today, is the first Friday the 13th in 2024. The second and final one is Friday, Dec 13.

When Doves Gather

Every night for the past couple of weeks, this tree that borders the Nashua River and is visible from our mill apartment window has hosted a large gathering of Mourning Doves.

This isn't a nightly gathering of just a few doves. Several evenings, we have counted upwards of 30 doves, while other evenings there have been less than half that number.

We have a front-row seat nightly as the doves usually arrive by our dinner time and our table is by the window. They start arriving one-by-one anywhere between 6 and 6:30 pm and remain anywhere from 30 to 45 minutes. All take flight by sunset.

Apparently, this behavior is not unusual and according to online information, Mourning Doves, when not breeding or nesting, will often form large flocks and can be seen perching on tree branches, telephone wires and lamp posts in groups of 12 or more. 

We've noticed that this current nightly sit-in is very peaceful with as many as four or five doves sharing the same tree branch. The most activity is that the doves preen their feathers.

An online check of the term for a collection of Mourning Doves produced several terms for a group of doves, including: cote, dole, bevy, flight and dule (French word for mourning). Their name derives from their soft distinct and sorrowful coo-ing calls which is usually coming from a male seeking a mate. Doves have been known to watch over a deceased mate, try to care for them and return to the place where the bird died. They will eventually seek a new mate.

The Mourning Dove is a small-headed dove with a graceful, slender-tail, light gray and brown and generally muted in color with well-defined black spots on their wings. Their pointed tails are longer than those of other doves enabling the birds to fly fast; they have been clocked at 55 mph. Males and females are similar in appearance, the species is generally monogamous.

The Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) is a member of the dove family, Columbidae. Also known as the American mourning dove, the rain dove and colloquially as the turtle dove. It was once known as the Carolina pigeon and Carolina turtledove. 

Unfortunately, as the most widespread and abundant game bird in North America, these birds have a high mortality rate. Hunters harvest more than 20 million annually, yet the Mourning Dove remains one of the most abundant birds with a U.S. population estimated at 350 million. Predators include raccoons, hawks, owls, squirrels, snakes, cats and dogs. Disease and weather extremes also take a toll on young and adult doves.

How long we'll continue to witness this nightly gathering is uncertain. But, as long as the doves gather on this tree near our window, we'll be watching these peaceful birds.

Hopefully, they will remain in this area through the winter; however many move south in late fall. If fellow blogger David G. can provide additional information, it would be appreciated.

Has anyone else seen a similar gathering where you live?

Friday Funnies

The previous post mentioned Pop's Clam Shack, a popular seafood eatery in Alton Bay, NH, where customers lined up to await opening time, ourselves included.

Waiting in line for a food order is nothing new — whether it's a human or vehicular line-up.

We experienced a very long human line a couple of years ago on a road trip to Maine. As shown below, the line at Red's Eats is never-ending in summer months.

Red's Eats in Wiscasset, ME, with customer line-up

Located at the foot of 41 Water and Main St in Wiscasset, ME, Red's Eats has been called the most famous restaurant in the state on Route 1 for over 80 years. Red's advertises itself as the world's best lobster shack. A claim supported by Down East Magazine's Best of Maine 2024 issue where readers named Red's Eats — Best Lobster Roll and Best Lobster Shack.  

Red's is a small shack with no indoor dining

A summertime legend, this shack is the size of a small house trailer. There's a single window where orders are placed; customers are called when their food is ready. Opened in Boothbay, ME, in 1938, it moved to the north end of Wiscasset in 1954. Like Pop's, it's also a family-run business handed down through several generations. Dedicated customers return each season for the famous lobstah roll or the views of the Sheepscot River, maybe both as dining here is al fresco.

Chick-fil-A in Lancaster, PA, with drive-up line

Unlike the family-run one-of-a-kind, Pop's and Red's, another eatery also has lines — but instead of people, it's vehicles. On road trips, we've seen line-ups at nearly every one.

Other differences: unlike Pop's and Red's, which specialize in seafood, Chick-fil-A, Inc. (a play on the word filet) specializes in chicken. And, it's open year-round vs. seasonally and has indoor seating (unlike Pop's and Red's). Headquartered in College Park, GA, it's the largest American fast food chain specializing in chicken sandwiches and operating 3,059 restaurants across 48 states. Company values are influenced by the religious beliefs of its late founder, S. Truett Cathy, a devout Southern Baptist. Restaurants are closed on Sundays, Thanksgiving, Christmas Day. During the Christian season of Lent, Chick-fil-A promotes fish sandwiches in keeping with the tradition of meat abstinence.

We've eaten at Pop's and Red's, but never at Chick-fil-A and have no plans to change that. For us, some places are well worth the wait, others not so much.

Your Turn — Would you or have you waited in line at a local eatery including Chick-fil-A?

Enjoy Your Weekend

Temps in the low to mid 70s in Nashua, NH, perfect for a day trip

Ticket to Ride

Many recognize the post title as that of a 1965 tune by the Beatles. 

It's also what we used for a NH rail trip over Labor Day weekend. 

Along with friends, Judy and Randy, we boarded the Winnipesaukee Scenic Railroad in Meredith, NH. This was the starting and ending point for a 2-hour round trip along the western shore of Lake Winnipesaukee.

Ourselves and friends were all aboard and ready to depart

The Winnipesaukee Scenic Railroad in Meredith and Weirs Beach, NH, and the Granite State Scenic Railway in Lincoln, NH, share 54 miles of historic railroad track that dates to 1848, the time when Zachary Taylor was President, trains were pulled by steam locomotives and steam-powered automobiles were becoming popular.

Winnipesaukee Scenic Railroad (Internet Source)

During the mid-1800’s, the track was owned by the Boston, Concord & Montreal Railroad. Back then, it served as one of the primary routes north through NH for summer-time tourists who traveled from cities like Boston, Hartford and New York to the pristine lakes and mountains of northern NH as well as to points further north including the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont and Montreal, Canada.

Cloudy day views of Lake Winnipesaukee from the train

Has anyone ever seen one of these? It's called a foilboard and it lets the surfboard and its rider rise above the water's surface, allowing for fast speeds and increased maneuverability under a wide range of conditions — according to online sources.

Conductor Dave announced that was his last day after 31 years

Our 2-hour round trip was along the western shore of Lake Winnipesaukee. It's the largest lake in NH and is located in the Lakes Region at the foothills of the White Mountains. The Lakes Region of NH is in the east-central part of the state, south of the White Mountains Region and extending to the Maine border, so-named due to its many lakes and up to 273 bodies of water. Lake Winnie is the largest of these, followed by Lake Winnisquam, Squam Lake and Newfound Lake.

Pop's Clam Shell in Alton Bay, NH, always draws a waiting line in season

After the train excursion, we drove to Alton Bay for a first-time dining experience at Pop's Clam Shell, which fellow blogger Erika has posted about many times (sorry, we missed a meet-up this time). Pop's is a summer tradition and at the same location since 1945. It's family owned and has been operated by three generations of the Benton family featuring generous very large portions of fresh seafood, fried clams, onion rings and more. Of course, these are not the best food choices, but this was a holiday weekend and, most likely, a one-and-done stop for us (until the next time).

We shared this generous seafood platter

Pop's closes from 3 to 4 pm to restock and a line of customers starts forming right before reopening time. We arrived after 3 pm and waited with other customers. Like similar food places, Pop's opens seasonally on weekends only from May to June, opens 5 days from July through August, then returns to weekends only through September before closing for the season.

The most unusual "pickup" truck we've ever seen

Waiting for the reopening time, we walked around Alton Bay, which borders Lake Winnie, but without a downtown area. That's when we saw this unusual vehicle, a Tesla Cybertruck. Hard to believe this is classified as a pickup. The license plate was from Montana. We would have enjoyed a chat with its owner, who we never saw.

If anyone is considering a purchase, here's some info, no gas fuel is needed for this battery-only electric vehicle with a mileage range under 350 miles, towing capacity of 11,000 pounds. The 2024 Tesla Cybertruck has a starting sticker price of $80,240 and the top of the range, the Cyberbeast, starts at $100,240. The body is made of stainless-steel and, as we noticed, seems to attract fingerprints (not ours). Imagine the damage this could cause if it were to hit another vehicle !

A holiday weekend would be incomplete (for us) if we didn't enjoy hot dogs, so we indulged at a local ice cream stand.

It was a perfect day for an ice cream treat, but then what day isn't?

Also on the weekend, we were shot, but not injured. The shots were at the local retail pharmacy for a now-annual flu vaccine and updated Covid vaccine. Perhaps, you will be doing the same in weeks to come.